Our residents of Mason have done a remarkably good job of being good citizens, and I would like to take a few minutes and say a big “Thank You” for all you do. For starters, with the continuing drought and lack of rain, we have had to institute restrictions on watering, and virtually all of our residents are cooperating and following the watering schedule we have set out. So far we have had a great response and although most of the yards are brown or nearly so, I keep thinking that stands as a badge of honor for those who understand the importance of saving our water resources for the truly important needs of people and animals. A few people have had particular problems with the schedule, but with a little consideration we can work out a plan where everyone can water on one day each week and keep your trees and plantings alive and still conserve the water as needed. Just remember that although the weather is not quite as hot as last month, the schedule we are enforcing and the best times to water is in the evening after 7:00 pm and in the early morning before 9:00 am. Another manner in which the citizens around Mason are being very helpful and cooperative is as our crews go through the neighborhoods and replace the water meters with new advanced meters. The process requires the water to be off for a short period of time, perhaps even as much as an hour, and there is some work at the curb in removing the old meter, installing the new and replacing the meter box and cover but throughout this process most residents have been pleasant and cooperative. There will be no additional or individual cost to the homeowners for this change of meters, and in situations where we cause a leak on the homeowners side of the meter we are working to try and stop the leak and repair any problems without causing any additional troubles. This project will require several more weeks to complete, but I appreciate your cooperation as we work through this process and provid better service for our water customers. Another place our community is being very helpful is in the everyday habit of recycling. The City of Mason is getting a very favorable reputation for being a small rural town that is firmly committed to recycling and produces a very large volume of material that stays out of our landfill. I recently looked as a few numbers for our solid waste collection for the month of August this year and August two years ago and the change was remarkable. The total pounds of solid waste at both the landfill and the Recycling Center were just marginally different for the month of August in those two years; however, while only a small percentage of the waste was recycled in 2009 in this past month over 30% of the total waste stream was recycled materials. It is nearly shocking that such a large percentage of our local waste is getting to the Recycling Center, but it is a fact that 156,000 pounds of material was handled there. That means that 78 TONS of waste was recycled rather than going into the landfill and filling it up at a faster rate. To everyone that regularly recycles we send out a big “Thank You” and if you have not made that a habit in your life now would be a good time to join the crowd and help us all preserve our landfill and send our waste back into the marketplace. Every week there is more going on in the City of Mason, and I really appreciate the way our citizens and our crews work together to make Mason a better hometown. We have many projects and are looking to the future for the ways we need to make changes and provide the infrastructure for all of us to enjoy our town and provide for the generations still to come. Not every change is easy or happens without some challenges, but with your help we will continue to work through the problems. If you see some real problem or have a concern about any situation around town, we want to know. Please feel free to call us at the City Hall at 325-347-6449 or email me at brent.hinckley@cityofmason.us with your concerns and we will try to find the right answers or solve the problem before it grows. The goal of all of us that work for the City is to make this be best hometown in Texas, and our customers are the judge every day of how successful we are in providing excellent service and the best facilities for our community.

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